New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-02-16

bliLies there are now paid 131 different rates of
| month. This disability must not be
| tine result Of the applicants vicious
habits or gross carelessness.n Practically this
provision is not Important. The attempt of the
government to escape the payment of pension
on such plea would, Of course in a very large
majority of instances, and regardless of the
merits OF the case, prove a failure. There would
be that strange but nearly universal willingness
to help the individual, as between him and the
public treasury, which goes very far to insure y
state OF proof IN favor OF the claimant. THE
disability of applicants must be such as to in
capaeitate them for the performance of labor in
such degree as to render them unable to earn
Limitation or definition of the incapacitating in
jury or silment itself. 1t need only be such a
degree OF disability from any cause as renders
the claimant unable to earn support by labor.
1t seems to me that the support" here mentioned
as one which cannot be earned is q complete and
entiIe support with no diIninution on account of
the least Impairment of physical or mental con-
dition. II it had been intended TO embrace Only
TOTALLY UNABLE TO LABOR,
1t would have been very easy to express that
instead of recognizing, as is done, a decree" OF
such inability. What is support-who is to
mas it not? Is the government to enter the
home of claimants for pension and, after an ex-
! animation of their surroundings and circum-
stances, settle these questions? Shall the gov
ernnent say to man that his manner of
| subsistence by his earnings is a support and to
another that the things his earnings furnish are
support? Any attempt. however honest to
administer this would necessarily produce more
unfairness and unjust discrimination and give
more scope for partisan rartiatity, and would
result In more peryersion of the govern
ments benevolent intentions. than the
execution of any statute ought to permit. Ii, in
| the effort to carry out the proposed law, the de-
gree OF disability as related to earnings be con-
sidered for the purpose of discovering il in any
way 1t curtaiis the support which the applicant
II entirely sound would earn and to which he is
entitled, we enter the broad field long OCCUPIED
by the pension bureau and we RECOGNIZES as the
only difference between the proposed legislation
and previous laws passed for the benefit of the
surviving soldiers of the civil war the incur
renee in one case of disability in military SER
vice, and in the other disabilities existing but in
no way connected with or resulting from such
service. 1t must be borne in mind thai in no
case is there any grading of this proposed pen
sion Under the operation of the rule first sug-
gested. If there. is a lack, in any degree,
great small. of the ability to earn
such a support as the government determines
the claimant should have, and by the applica-
ton OF the rule secondly suggested, if there is
reduction in any degree of the support which he
might earn if sound. he is entitled to pension
OF ST. per month In the latter case. and under
| the proviso of the proposed bill permitting per-
sons now receiving pensions to be admitted to
the benefits of the act, do not see how those
now on the pension rolls for disabilities Incurred
in the service. and which diminish the earning
capacity, can be denied the pension provided in
This DILL " course none will apply who now
receiving SIP or more per month; but on June
80, 1886, there were on the pension rolls 2O2-
62l persons who were receiving fifty-eiaht diff
ferent rates OF pension, ranging from ST to
$ll. 10 per month. OF those %, l42 were re-
ceiving So per month: G3, 1l6, 81 per month:
1924, Sc per month: and 5O.274, whose disa-
bilities were rated as total, SIS per month.
EVEN IT'S ADVOCATES DIFFERED.
AS to the meaning OF the section OF the bill
under consideration, there appears to have been
difference OF opinion among It's advocates in
congress. The chairman Of the committee on
pensions in the house of representatives who re-
ported the BILL declared that there was in it no
! provision Tor pensloning any one who has less
it,rSc 1ob Il
that 1t was a charity measure The chairmau OF
the committee on pensions In the senate having
charge OF the bill in that body, dissented from
the construction OF the bill announced in the
house OF representatives and declared that it not
only embraced all soldiers totally disabled hut
in his Judgment all who are disabled to auy con-
siderable extent. and such construction was
substantially given to the bill by another dis
tlngulshed senator who, as former secretary of
executing the pension laws and determining
their intent and meaning. Another condition
required OF claimants under this act Is that they
shall be dependent upon their daily labor for
support" This language, which NAV be said TO
assume that there exists within the reach
OF the persons mentioned Labor" or the
used i'll a statute describing those not wholly
deprived OF this ability than In one which deals
with those utterly unable to work. am OF the
opinion that 1t may fairly be commended that
under the provisions Of this section any soldier
whose faculties of mind or body have become
impaired oy accident, disease or age, irrespective
OF his service in the army as a cause, and who
by his labor only is incapable Of gaining the fair
support he might with unimpalred powers have
provided for himself. and who is so we'll en-
lowed with this worlds goods as to live with
out work may claim to participate in it's bounty:
That 1t is not required that be should be with
out property, but only that labor should be
necessarysto his support in some degree nor is
1t required that he should be now receiving sup
port from others. Believing this to be the
proper Interpretation of the bill. cannot but
remember that the soldiers of our civil war in
their pay and bounty received such compensa-
tlon for military service as has never been re-
ceived by soldiers before since mankind first
went to war: that never before on behalf of anv
soldiers, have SO many and such generous laws
been passed to relieve them against the Incl
dents of war: that statutes have been passed
GIVING THEM A PREFERENCE
in all public employments; that the really needy
and homeless Union soldiers of the Rebellion
have been to large extent provided for at
soldiers homes, instituted and supported by
the government where they are maintained to-
gether, tree from the sense of degradation which
attaches to the usual support of charity; and
thai never before in the history Of the country
has 1t been proposed to render government aid
Toward the support OF any of it's soldiers based
alone upon military service SO recent. and
Where age and circumstances appeared so little
to demand such aid. Hitherto such relief has been
granted to surviving soldiers, few in number
vene1 able in age, after long lapse of time since
then military 'ervlces. and parting bene-
faction rendered by grateful people I can
not believe that the vast peaceful army of Union
soldiers who, having contentedlv resumed tn cir
places the ordinary vacations of life hold sacred
the memory OF PATRIOTIC service. or who hav-
ing been disabled by the casualties Of war Justly
regard the present pension roll, on which APP
pear their names as a roll of honor, desire
at the time and in the present cxicency to he
eonfounded with those who. through such bill
as THIS are willing to be objects of simple char
lty, and to gain place on the pension roll
through alleged discrepancies Recent personal
observation and experience constrain me to re-
fer TO another result which will inevitably fol-
low the approval of the bill. It is sad, but
nevertheless true. that already in the matter OF
procuring procuring pensions there exists widespread
disregard OF truth and good faith, stimuli lted by
those who, as agents, undertake to establish
claims for pensions. heedlessly entered upon by
the expectant beneficiary, and encouraged, or at
least not condemned. by those unwilling to oh
strucJ neighbours plans. In the execution of
this proposed law, under any interpret alton, a
wide field Of inquiry would be opened for the
establishment OF fact largely within the knowl-
edge OF the claimants, and there can be no doubt
that the pensions offered by this bill would not
only stimulate weakness ana pretended inca
pacity for labor, but put a further premium on
dishonesty and lnendacity. The effect OF new
invitations 10 apply for pensions, or of new ad-s
yantages added TO causes for pensions already
existing, is
SOMETIMES STARTLING.